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Lung age is a concept used to help people understand their lung function test results by providing them with a comparison of their lung function to that of an average healthy individual of the same age. This comparison helps individuals understand the potential impact of smoking on their lungs and motivates them to quit smoking or to take steps to improve their lung health.

Spirometry is a common test used to assess lung function by measuring the volume of air a person can inhale and exhale, as well as how quickly they can exhale. Lung age is calculated based on spirometry test results and other factors such as age, height, and sex. For example, a 40-year-old who has smoked for 20 years may have a lung age of 60, indicating that their lung function is comparable to that of a healthy 60-year-old individual who has never smoked.

The concept of lung age has been shown to be an effective tool in motivating smokers to quit smoking. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2009, known as the Step 2 Quit trial, found that smokers who were given feedback on their lung age were more likely to quit smoking than those who were not given this information. The study involved over 560 participants in the UK who were randomized to receive either lung age feedback or standard smoking cessation advice. The results showed that after one year, 10.6% of those who received lung age feedback had quit smoking compared to 7.8% of those who received standard advice.

The use of lung age in smoking cessation programs has also been recommended by international organizations such as the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS). These organizations suggest that lung age can be used as a tool to personalize smoking cessation advice and to increase motivation for smokers to quit.

In summary, lung age is a concept used to help individuals understand their lung function test results by comparing their lung function to that of an average healthy individual of the same age. The use of lung age in smoking cessation programs has been shown to be an effective tool in motivating smokers to quit smoking, as demonstrated by the Step 2 Quit trial and recommended by international organizations such as GOLD and ERS.

References:

Swanney MP, Jensen RL, Crichton DA, Beckert LE, Cardno LA, Crapo RO. FEV(1) measurement in the elderly: influence of reference values on patient categorization. Chest. 2008 Mar;133(3):907-13. doi: 10.1378/chest.07-1611. PMID: 18321906. Parkes G, Greenhalgh T, Griffin M, Dent R. Effect on smoking quit rate of telling patients their lung age: the Step2quit randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2008 Dec 15;336(7634):598-600. doi: 10.1136/bmj.39503.582396.25. PMID: 18202034. Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease. Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD, 2021. Available from: https://goldcopd.org/2021-gold-reports/. Accessed on 19 March 2023. European Respiratory Society. ERS guidelines for the management of adult bronchial asthma, 2022. Available from: https://www.ers-education.org/guidelines/bronchial-asthma/. Accessed on 19 March 2023. ↓